The Five Scarves - Black Tea
by RaceProUK
Summary: The Tea clan has a long rich history as hidden influencers of Avalician destiny, guiding with subtlety and nuance from the shadows of society. However, some have thirsted for more, and Corazon Tea is one of them. Her actions put her in direct conflict with both the Red Scarves and the Tea clan, and neither can allow her to live. But Corazon won't make it easy...
1. Envy

[Present day, two years after the Brevon Crisis]

"How close are we to Shang Mu?"

"About t‑t‑two hours."

"Excellent. Alert me when we're thirty minutes away. And stick to the plan, unless you want to find out what it's like to be a kebab."

"Aye‑aye, b‑b‑boss!"

Satisfied everything is going smoothly and that her assistant has everything under control, the captain shuts off the radio. _This is it, Corazon. No turning back now. Victory is all that matters._

 _If only Coraline could see how far I've come…_

* * *

[Six years before the Brevon Crisis]

"You must be very proud of your sister, Corazon," Leader Lillith Song compliments.

"I am, ma'am," Corazon confirms. "She's a fine example of what the Tea clan can produce, and worthy of bearing the name."

"And to have passed Basic in just six weeks, that must be a new record," Lillith continues. "If I'm not mistaken, it beats your own record."

"By one week, ma'am," Corazon confirms. "I'm not afraid to admit it: I'm a little jealous."

"Understandable," Lillith smiles. "Others would say not to be jealous at all, but I think that would only be dishonest. The important thing is to ensure it doesn't influence your actions."

"Of course," Corazon agrees. "I have one more question."

"Yes, you can go celebrate with your sister," Lillith smiles.

"Thanks!" Corazon beams, forgetting her formalities as she dashes out of Lillith's sanctum to find her sister. But Lillith doesn't mind: she simply shakes her head in amusement and returns to her regular duties.

* * *

[Present day]

Corazon snaps out of her musing. _Everything was so much simpler then. I was the elder Tea, and the better Tea. Coraline looked up to me, followed me in everything._

 _But… things changed._

* * *

[Five years before the Brevon Crisis]

"What‽ Already‽" Corazon blurts. "It's only been a year!"

"True," Lillith agrees. "But Coraline's showed such incredible talent that we felt it was only right to recognise it."

"But I had to wait the whole two years!" Corazon protests. "Isn't that the standard?"

"It is," Lillith confirms, "but this is an exceptional circumstance."

"We're both Teas," Corazon reminds. "If Coral can get fast‑tracked to veteran status, why did I have to wait two years?"

"You're good, there's no doubting that," Lillith assures. "But sometimes, your discipline leaves something to be desired. Coraline, on the other hand, is the most disciplined operative I've ever seen. Both of you will achieve greatness, that much is your destiny, but you'll just have to live with the fact that your younger sister will likely outshine you."

"This isn't fair," Corazon growls, although her anger isn't directed at Lillith.

"Life isn't fair," Lillith asserts. "I had my own share of issues when I was your age. However, I overcame them, and now I'm a Red Scarf Leader. You make your own luck in this world."

"Better get started then," Corazon growls to herself as she leaves the sanctum, again forgetting formalities.

When Corazon is out of earshot, Lillith picks up her phone and contacts Leader Tracy Metharom.

"What's up, Lil?" Tracy asks before Lillith can speak.

"Corazon," Lillith replies.

Tracy is silent for a moment. "I'll come over."

* * *

Five minutes later, Tracy joins Lillith in her sanctum.

"Let me guess: Cory was unhappy at Coral's promotion," Tracy guesses as Lillith welcomes her.

"In one," Lillith confirms. "She left in quite a foul mood, and I fear I may have planted a seed we don't want to see germinate."

"I know she's a wild one, but is she really that bad?" Tracy asks, taking a seat on one of the sofas. "After all, we're planning on promoting Hanna Skarlett a year early too. Who, by the way, has come along massively in the last year: those two friends of hers are keeping her tame."

"That's the difference: Hanna's gaining self‑control, but I think Corazon's starting to go the other way," Lillith explains, sitting beside Tracy.

"And I think you're worrying too much about it," Tracy assures. "Don't get me wrong, we'll keep an eye on her, but I have confidence that Coral's influence will prevent Cory going too far."

Lillith sighs. "I hope you're right."

"Have I ever steered you wrong before?"

"Yes."

"On anything that matters?"

"Yes."

"Teenage pranks don't count."

Lillith can't resist a little smile. "In that case, no, you've never steered me wrong."

"I'll make a deal with you," Tracy offers. "I'll keep watch on Corazon, and you keep watch on Hanna."

"Deal," Lillith accepts.

* * *

[Present day]

Corazon is broken from her musings by an unexpected alert on her console. Curious, she flicks on the radio. "Greasemonkey. Explain."

"A‑Already on it," the greasemonkey replies.

"Explain," Corazon repeats forcefully.

"It's n‑nothing m‑major," the greasemonkey assures. "J‑Just a s‑small g‑glitch in th‑the s‑starboard engine's f‑fuel p‑pump. I'll h‑have it f‑fixed in m‑moments."

Satisfied, Corazon shuts of the radio. _He may annoy and frustrate me, but he's too damn useful to kill. How he cracked the_ Sigwada _'s systems, I'll never know. And he's able to keep this entire ship running solo, even though officially it needs a crew of eight just to stop it falling from the sky. Not to mention how he's able to create and maintain a whole battalion of armed robots._ Corazon allows herself a wicked smile. _He has all the makings of a mad tyrant, yet he submits to my will without question or a hint of defiance. And that's what I like best about him._

Corazon checks the time, then settles down to snooze for the next hour and a half.

* * *

[Five years before the Brevon Crisis]

Corazon lays on her bed in her room in the barracks, trying to work out just how Coral could achieve Veteran status a year ahead of schedule. _It's impossible. I'm two years older: that makes me two years better by default. Yet she gets promoted a year early. If this continues, this time next year she'll be commanding me! That is unacceptable. I am older; therefore, I am better._

A sudden knock breaks Corazon out of her thoughts. "Cory?" a familiar voice asks. "I know you're in there."

 _Great. Coral._ With a sigh, Corazon rolls off the bed, takes a deep breath, and masks her true feelings with a pleasant smile before opening the door. "Hey, sis. Congratulations on the promotion."

"Thanks," Coral nods. "Mind if we have a chat?"

 _Yes._ "Not at all." _Damn._ "Come on in."

Coral enters the room and perches herself on the end on the bed. "I bet you weren't expecting this news," she begins.

"It is a surprise," Corazon admits, closing the door and joining her sister on the bed. "Normally, it takes two years to get to Veteran status."

"That's how long it took you, isn't it?" Coral asks.

 _Thanks for the reminder._ "Yeah," Corazon confirms.

"I hope you're not jealous."

"You know our clan doesn't do jealousy."

"I know. Still, I just wanted to be sure."

"I'm not jealous." _Liar._

"Good," Coral smiles. "I still have a lot to learn, after all. Just because I got promoted early, doesn't mean I can sit back and relax. Now, I must train harder than ever, and prove the decision was the right one."

"You already train so hard," Corazon reminds. "If you train any harder, you'll burn yourself out."

"Don't worry about me," Coral assures. "I know how hard I can push myself. Speaking of training, do you want to help me?"

 _No._ "Of course!" _Damn._

"How about now? I want to work on sword technique."

Corazon looks at the clock beside her bed. _Think of an excuse._ "Sure, sounds like fun." _Pathetic._

"Thanks sis," Coral smiles.

Corazon watches as Coral heads back out into the corridor. _I'm not going to allow her to best me. Ever._

* * *

[Present day]

Corazon jerks awake. _So much for sleeping._ Stretching, the dark viridian wildcat stands and walks up to the main window. _In less than two hours, I begin my greatest plan yet. Within a week, I will rule Qǐyuán Wángguó. And within a month, all the kingdoms and republics will bow to me and me alone. Only then will the true destiny of the Tea clan be fulfilled._

 _And I will prove my dearly departed sister wrong._


	2. Trial

[Present day]

"C‑Captain?"

Corazon rolls her eyes. _What now?_ The wildcat strolls back to her console and picks up the radio. "Speak."

"Th‑The r‑repair is t‑talking l‑longer th‑than I anticipated."

"Will it delay us?"

"N‑No‑"

"Then handle it."

Corazon shuts off the radio and returns to watching the scenery pass under the _Sigwada_ , running through the plan again in her head to make sure she's covered all the bases. _No way anything can go wrong. Team Lilac won't be able to stop me, and the Red Scarves stand even less chance. I wonder if I'll get to see how surprised they will be at the fact I'm still alive? I hope I do: it'll be delicious._

* * *

[Four years before the Brevon Crisis]

Midday in Red Scarves HQ, and Coral is making her way towards the sanctum of Leader Tracy Metharom. Normally, a summons would be nothing for the pale viridian wildcat to be concerned about, but the message that accompanied this summons is a cause for grave concern:

 _Your sister did it again. We need to discuss the solution. Report to me immediately._

Knowing that action must be taken to curb Corazon's excesses, Coral wasted no time responding to the summons, walking out of the training class she was helping in without a single word to anyone. The instructor wasn't impressed, but the messenger confirmed to him that the message was top priority: immediate summons by the Leaders are _never_ ignored.

Coral arrives outside Leader Metharom's door, takes a deep breath to clear her mind, then knocks three times.

"Enter," Tracy calls from within.

Coral enters, closes the door behind her, then salutes the Leader. "What did Cory do this time?" she asks, abandoning formality to get to the subject at hand quickly.

"Twenty‑seven innocent civilians killed," Tracy answers simply. "The mission was reconnaissance."

Coral curses silently. "Apologies."

"Trust me, I unleashed far worse when I heard," Tracy assures. "Some might say it was enough to make even the spectacularly foul‑mouthed Hanna Skarlett blush."

"That wouldn't be as difficult as you think," Coral observes. "The vixen is infamous for her bad language, but she doesn't curse as much as the rumours suggest."

"I wasn't aware you keep her under watch," Tracy replies, curious.

"I monitor everyone who stands out, so I can be prepared to handle them if they step out of line while accompanying me on a mission," Coral reminds. "We should return to the subject of my sister."

"Of course," Tracy agrees. "I know you've talked with her many times, but I fear that you're not getting through to her at all."

"It's a constant vexation to me," Coral admits. "Her behaviour gets more erratic with every passing event. But I will keep trying."

"I commend your persistence, but I'm afraid Corazon's lack of discipline is now serious enough that more drastic action must be taken," Tracy informs. "We've been more lenient than normal out of respect for the Tea clan, but the Scarves must protect themselves."

"I understand," Coral accepts. "However, I must insist on one final attempt to correct my sister's deviance."

"I'm afraid that's just not possible," Tracy asserts. "The Leaders are united on this: Corazon is a liability, and therefore cannot remain a member of the Red Scarves."

"Ejecting her will only lead to worse behaviour," Coral informs. "Just promise me one thing."

"Depends on what the thing is."

"If she is sentenced to execution, I'm the one who carries it out."

"That would be highly irregular."

"I know," Coral agrees. "But Corazon is a Tea, and we deal with our own."

"I'll forward the request to the other Leaders," Tracy assures. "I'm not promising anything."

"Excuse me: I need to speak to my sister." Coral salutes, then leaves the sanctum.

"I know you mean well, but I'm afraid the outcome is already pre‑ordained," Tracy sighs to herself.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Coral arrives outside Corazon's gaol cell, finding the older wildcat reclining on the bed.

"More lectures?" Corazon growls before Coral can speak.

"You continue to bring shame upon the Tea clan," Coral states flatly.

"As I keep telling you, we're too good for all this bullshit," Corazon retorts. "We should be ruling this place!"

"Cory, you know that's not how we operate," Coral asserts, trying to appeal to her sister's sense of honour. "We work with organisations like the Red Scarves to make our influence felt where it matters most. When we kill, we only take the minimum lives necessary. We certainly do _not_ murder innocent civilians in cold blood."

"Then we're doing it wrong," Corazon asserts. "Anyone who stands in the way of the Tea clan doesn't deserve to live."

"If you continue with this attitude, then you will force the Leaders to eject you from the Scarves," Coral informs. "And given your knowledge and skillset, the guild won't allow you to live, and nor will the clan."

"Your idle threats don't scare me," Corazon asserts.

"Then you are truly beyond hope," Coral sighs in defeat.

"It's not me who's beyond hope," Corazon states as if fact.

"You invite execution," Coral cautions.

"You're all just scared of me," Corazon smirks.

"With good reason," Coral explains. "If we don't control you, you will bring only disaster."

"I'd take us to heights we've never been before," Corazon asserts. "I won't stop until the Tea clan is in its rightful place as rulers of all Avalice!"

"Our place is not to rule," Coral reminds. "Our place is to guide and influence."

"And the best way to do that is to rule," Corazon states as if it's obvious.

"Have you forgotten the most basic tenet of our clan?" Coral asks, hiding her frustration with practiced expertise. "'Cóng yīnyǐng xíngzhuàng, cóng dìmiàn yǐndǎo: Shape from the shadows, guide from the ground.' It's been our philosophy for the entire history of the clan."

"It only holds us back."

"It prevents us from becoming monsters."

"You're scared of how truly great we could become."

"And you're just jealous I'm a better Tea than you."

 _That_ gets Corazon's attention: she leaps off the bed and lunges at the bars. "Don't _ever_ accuse me of that again!" she growls.

At first, Coral doesn't reply: she simply stands inert. "I did not ask to be better than you," she eventually reminds quietly.

"You are not better than me," Corazon hisses.

"That's not for you to judge."

"It will be when I take the clan where it belongs!"

"We are already where we belong."

"Bullshit. I'm not the first who thinks we sell ourselves short."

Coral takes a deep breath, the first sign the stress is getting to her. "It is true that there have been radicals in the clan before. However, they have all ended the same way: getting themselves killed while bringing great shame upon us all."

"They were weak. I am strong."

"Cory, if you continue down this path, it'll only end in disaster. I can only do so much to protect you."

"I don't need protection!" Corazon snaps. "And I'll prove it to everyone when I seat the Tea clan on top of the world!"

Coral doesn't respond: now certain her sister cannot be reasoned with, she leaves in silence.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Leader Metharom is surprised to hear three knocks at her door. "Enter."

Coral enters the sanctum and salutes. "There is only one course of action we can take."

"Then we are all in agreement," Tracy acknowledges. "Out of respect for the Tea clan, the Leaders have agreed to your request to be the one who performs the execution."

Coral nods in acceptance, salutes, then leaves in silence.

"I hope the decision isn't a mistake," Tracy thinks aloud.

* * *

Mid‑afternoon, and four of the Leaders are assembled in the main hearing room within the stockade, awaiting the arrival of Corazon Tea. They don't have long to wait: the shackled wildcat is escorted into the room by four armed guards.

"Four Leaders, four armed guards, yet you still feel the need to restrain me," Corazon purrs wickedly as she's secured to a sturdy chair. "And who's the mystery figure?" she asks, noticing a cloaked form hidden in the shadows.

"The accused will remain silent until asked to speak," Leader Metharom instructs.

"You won't ask me to speak," Corazon snarls.

"Silence her," Leader Metharom commands.

Corazon smirks as one of the guards fits her with a cloth gag.

"Corazon Tea, the list of charges against you is incredible," Leader Metharom continues once the wildcat is silenced. "Considering only yesterday, there are twenty‑seven counts of murder of innocent civilians. Such an act is abhorrent, but by itself would not guarantee a sentence as harsh as execution. However, this is the latest in a worryingly long and growing line of transgressions and atrocities you have committed. We have never seen a Scarf with such wanton disregard for the lives of innocents, and your bodycount can no longer be permitted to increase. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

The guard removes the gag to allow Corazon to speak.

"Moving against me is a mistake," Corazon sneers.

"Then you leave us no choice," Leader Metharom informs. "Corazon Tea, we hereby sentence you to execution."

"There isn't anyone alive who can take my life," Corazon smirks.

"Yes, there is," the cloaked figure corrects.

Corazon's smirk vanishes instantly. "Coraline," she growls. "I should have known."

The cloaked figure emerges from the shadows, then lowers her hood to reveal the guess to be correct. "You leave us no choice," Coral states flatly.

Corazon analyses her sister briefly. _She's been crying. I can escape this._ "You won't go through with it."

"It's the only way to salvage the honour of the clan who's name you've defiled," Coral asserts. "You should have known this day would come."

Corazon remains silent and impassive.

"Leaders, I'd like us to be left alone," Coral requests.

The Leaders exchange looks.

"This isn't just a matter for the Scarves: this is a matter for the Tea clan," Coral explains.

The Leaders discuss the decision briefly. "We will leave you alone," Leader Metharom informs, the other Leaders nodding in agreement.

"Thank you," Coral replies.

The Leaders rise and leave in silence, leaving the two wildcats of the Tea clan alone.

Coral draws her sword.

Corazon smirks.


	3. Escape

"You won't kill me," Corazon asserts. "We both know you don't have it in you."

"I do this to restore the honour of the Tea clan," Coral replies flatly as she walks behind Corazon and lays the flat of the sword on the older wildcat's left shoulder.

"You can't even look me in the eye," Corazon sneers.

"Don't make this any more difficult than it needs to be."

"What would Carol think?"

Coral hesitates.

"Heh, knew that'd stop you," Corazon smirks. "You never could stand to see our baby sister upset."

"Corazon."

"Must be serious: you normally call me Cory."

"My sword at your neck, and you still defy both the guild that gave you your purpose and the clan that gave you your talent. You are no longer fit to bear either the signature neckwear of the guild, nor the name of the clan to which you were born. Neither can suffer you to live. Any last words?"

Corazon closes her eyes. "I'll rule this world before anyone hears them."

"Goodbye, Corazon. May the Ancients show mercy unto you."

Coral raises her sword to swing: however, she can't quite bring herself to swing it. She takes a deep breath‑

Corazon makes her move. Pushing back with all her finely‑honed strength, she slams her and the chair hard into Coral, sending them both crashing to the floor and the sword across the room. Corazon allows her momentum to roll her off Coral, the chair having broken in the impact, leaving splintered pieces of wood secured to her arms and legs.

"Like I was ever going to let you kill me," the murderous wildcat growls, violence flashing in her eyes as she pounces.

Coral rolls aside at the last second, leaving her cloak behind, and not stopping until she's recovered the sword. "You dare disgrace our clan further?" she challenges as she rolls onto her feet.

"Drop the attitude, sis," Corazon spits. "Only _I_ see the true future for the Teas."

"You have no right to speak the name of my clan," Coral asserts. "Surrender, and I'll make your death quick."

"You'll have to earn it," Corazon grins wickedly.

Coral charges, sword lowered to thrust.

Her first mistake.

 _Predictable._ Corazon dodges the thrust and rakes her claws down the length of Coral's arms as the younger wildcat passes. Yelping in pain, Coral drops the sword.

Her second mistake.

Corazon picks up the sword, shoulder‑charges her sister to the floor, and lays the tip of the blade on her sister's neck. "Not so tough now, are ya?" she gloats.

Blood pouring from her arms, Coral knows she can't win this fight. But she'll die trying. Taking advantage of Corazon not pinning her, she sweeps the older wildcat's legs from under her, rolling out the way as Corazon hits the floor. Coral rolls onto her feet, then slams the door as hard as she can with her wounded left arm. " _Jí: xīnghóng yī!_ "

 _Shit._ Corazon throws the sword, pinning Coral's arm to the door. _Shit._ Fighting down a rising panic, Corazon quickly scans the room for another way out. _No windows, and only one door._ Corazon looks up. _Vent. Only way._ With a powerful leap, Corazon jumps up to the vent, grabbing hold of the grille with both hands. At first, the grille holds, but repeated jerks eventually work it loose. Suddenly, the grille gives way: Corazon lands gracefully, the grille clanging to the floor in front of her.

As Corazon lands, Coral finally yanks the sword out of the door and her arm, freeing herself. " _Stop!_ "

"Make me," Corazon smirks.

Coral lunges, but she's too slow: Corazon leaps up into the vent and disappears. Coral tries to listen for the direction her sister took, only to be thwarted by the Tea clan's finely‑honed stealth skills.

Finally, the door opens, Leader Song leading a squad of armed guards into the room. It only takes a second for the Leader to work out what happened. "We trusted you."

"If it's any consolation, I have shamed my clan more than the Scarves," Coral apologises. "I will put this right."

Leader Song turns to face Coral. "Not with your arms looking like you've been fist‑fighting a Mantalith. Get to the infirmary."

"But‑"

"That's an _order._ And drop the sword: you won't need it."

Coral places the sword on the floor, then leaves for the infirmary, two guards assisting her and bandaging her arms to minimise blood loss.

* * *

As Coral is escorted to the infirmary, Corazon waits in the vent. _Come on, make the mistake of thinking these vents are my escape route._ A few minutes later, her patience pays off: Leader Song and the armed squad leave, locking the room behind them.

With the room to herself, Corazon drops out of the vent and to the floor in silence. _Now that I have a bit of time to myself, I can work out the small details of my escape. No doubt every Senior is going to be after me, and they're not going to stop until I'm cold meat. But then, no‑one is as good as me._

Corazon takes up her sister's cloak and shrouds herself in it. _It's a start. Oh, and she left her sword too. That was silly._ Corazon picks up the sword and wipes her sister's blood from the blade. Satisfied she has all she needs, she places an oversized ear against the door to listen for activity on the other side. _They really_ are _that stupid! This'll be a piece of cake!_

Corazon makes short work of picking the lock, then walks out into the empty corridor. Sticking to the shadows where possible, she silently sneaks out of the stockade and out into the Red Scarves compound itself. _Crowds. Need to be careful._ Taking great care not to be spotted, it takes Corazon forty‑five minutes to make her way from the stockade to the vehicle depot.

No‑one spots her, not even the undercover gunmen dispatched to shoot on sight.

Once inside the depot, Corazon takes advantage of the lax security to discard the sword, locate one of the fastest bikes the Scarves have, and ride straight out the compound. The last act draws attention, but by the time anyone can react, Corazon has left HQ and disappeared into the forest.

* * *

"Dammit! Are you seriously telling me that we had twenty‑five Seniors hunting her down, and she _still_ escaped‽" Leader Metharom demands over her radio.

"We keep underestimating her," Leader Song replies, her tone belying her frustration.

"Tell me why we didn't lock down HQ again?"

"To prevent triggering panic."

Tracy sighs in acceptance. "Yeah… That was a concern… What now?"

"I'm on my way back from the main gate," Lillith replies. "I'll be there in under ten."

"Scratch that: we'll meet you at the helipad." Tracy shuts off her radio and re‑enters the room Coral is being treated in.

"She escaped," Coral guesses.

"Yes," Tracy confirms.

"I can hunt her down," Coral asserts.

"Good, because that's _exactly_ what you're going to do," Tracy commands. "Doctor, is she fit for discharge?"

"I recommend a week's bed rest‑" the doctor begins.

"Coraline, can you use your arms?" Tracy demands.

"Yes," Coral confirms.

"Then you're fit for discharge," Tracy decides.

"I wouldn't‑" the doctor begins.

"I don't care," Tracy interrupts. "Coraline Tea, you will hunt down and kill Corazon Tea."

"She's not a Tea anymore, and I would do so even without orders," Coral replies.

"Good. Leader Song is waiting for us at the helipad. She will accompany you on this mission."

"I don't need assistance."

"Tough."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Tracy and Coral arrive at the helipad to find Lillith waiting for them, the helicopter ready to take off.

"I've dispatched seven search‑and‑destroy fireteams to try and find her," Lillith informs.

"That won't work," Coral informs. "If Corazon doesn't want to be found, not even a hundred fireteams could find her."

"And you can?" Tracy asks.

"I'm her sister," Coral explains.

"Succeed, and we'll forget your failure in the stockade," Tracy informs. "Fail, and you'll be demoted from Crimson to White, and be exclusively on patrol duty until you prove yourself capable again."

"Understood."

Coral and Lillith climb aboard the helicopter and strap themselves in, Coral in the front, Lillith behind. The instant they're secure, the pilot takes off and turns south, following Coral's directions.

* * *

Confident she's not being pursued, Corazon slows down and starts planning her next move. _Now I'm out, where do I go? No way I can stay in the Qǐyuán Wángguó: Coral will never stop hunting me. I could travel west to Xīfāng Dìguó… Waste of time: not far enough. Nor is Bando Gonghwagug. Kyōwakoku Gotoshi? The maritime separation would work to my advantage… No, still not far enough: Coral would pursue me there too._

Corazon slows further as she gets more absorbed in her own thoughts. _Xāṇācạkr P̣hūk̄heā? That's far enough away that I'd likely not be pursued. But they're not exactly a well‑developed region, and I'll need somewhere to build an army, so I can show the Hóngsè Wéijīn_ and _the Tea clan what it_ really _means to be a Tea! In that respect, Kyōwakoku Gotoshi would be the best bet, as they're close enough technologically to match the Qǐyuán Wángguó and the Hóngsè Wéijīn. But to build an army there would pit me against the Hisui Teikei, and I'd rather not. Not yet, anyway._

 _Shit. There's only one place I can go: Katimugang Isla._

Corazon's ears prick. _Helicopter._ The wildcat looks over her shoulder to see the helicopter bearing down on her. _Coraline._ Returning her attention to the road, Corazon opens the throttle and accelerates hard.

* * *

In the helicopter, Coral is searching for Corazon through a pair of infra‑red binoculars. Initially, she can't pick out her sister among the mass of confusing signals, but when Corazon accelerates, the engine and tyres heat up, blazing a distinct signal for Coral to track. "Got her!"

"Stay on her!" Lillith commands. "Whatever you do, do _not_ lose sight of her!"

"I won't make the same mistake twice," Coral assures.

* * *

It only takes a minute or so for Corazon to realise she can't simply outrun the helicopter. Knowing she'll have to get more creative, she slows a little to analyse her surroundings. Suddenly, she turns sharply into the treeline, and tries to shake her pursuers by hiding her thermal signature under the canopy. Unfortunately, the foliage isn't dense enough, and the helicopter keeps tracking her.

But this doesn't faze Corazon. Ten minutes later, she emerges from the trees and onto a railway line. Using a small bump to jump the bike between the rails, she opens the throttle again and accelerates as fast as the bike can manage over the sleepers. A quick glance over her shoulder reveals the helicopter is still tailing her. _Excellent._

* * *

Four miles down the line, Lillith spots something worrying. "Tunnel!"

The pilot looks up, cursing mildly when he spots the obstacle. Coral however remains entirely fixed on Corazon. "She's heading straight for it!"

Lillith draws her pistol, leans out of the side of the helicopter, and takes aim. "Keep it steady!"

Coral risks looking away to see what Lillith is doing. "What on Avalice‽"

"You had your chance!" Lillith snaps before unleashing a full magazine at Corazon. "Dammit! Too much range! Get closer!" she barks, loading another magazine. "And keep watching her!"

Coral returns to tracking Corazon, who appears to be unhurt by the gunfire. "She's not slowing down…"

Lillith leans out and unleashes another volley at Corazon. "Shit! This isn't working!"

"She's still not slowing," Coral reports. "She's going to… No… Not even _she_ would be that‑"

Corazon disappears into the tunnel at full speed.

" _Stop!_ " Lillith cries, on the verge of panic as the helicopter speeds towards the cliff above the tunnel.

The pilot yanks hard on the control stick, bringing the helicopter to a halt just as a goods train thunders out of the tunnel on the only track. Pilot and passengers watch in horror as the train slowly grinds to a halt a mile down the track, then look below them to see the scattered remains of Corazon's bike.

"My condolences," Lillith offers softly. "I know that's not the way you wanted it to end."

Coral responds with silence.

* * *

From the shadows at the mouth of the tunnel, Corazon cannot resist a smirk as she watches the helicopter retreat. _Another mistake, sis. And you'll know it when your blood runs down my blade._


	4. Takeover

[Present day]

An hour away from Shang Mu, and Corazon is touring the _Sigwada_ , performing a routine inspection partly to ensure everything is proceeding according to plan, but mostly to keep herself occupied. _I really must commend the greasemonkey for his work: this ship is running brilliantly, even though it's staffed entirely by robots. I clearly made the right choice sparing his life._

At the end of her inspection, Corazon retires to the mess deck and fires up the coffee machine. As she waits for the machine to warm up, she thinks back to her time in the Katimugang Isla. _Six years of exile. Six years to plan my revenge. It's hard to believe it's less than one hour before I begin my takeover…_

* * *

[Four years before the Brevon Crisis]

A week after escaping her execution, Corazon arrives in the Southern Islands. Having nothing but the clothes on her athletic frame, she has no choice but to scrape a meagre living as a street criminal just to survive. Soon however, her effectiveness starts to attract attention, not just from law enforcement, but also the various barkada operating throughout the Southern Islands.

Inevitably, one of those barkada would act against this new threat to their business.

* * *

After another successful night of pickpocketing and other thievery, Corazon returns to her hideaway in the storm drains of the city of Parusa. It's not exactly luxurious accommodation, but the wildcat isn't concerned: using her skills taught by both the Tea clan and the Red Scarves, she's secured the location against all bar the most determined of intruders.

However, someone of Corazon's ambitions cannot remain in such a lowly location, so as she settles down to eat, she continues to calculate how she's going to rise through the criminal ranks. _Three weeks now, and I'm still stuck down here. It could be worse, but this is so far below me it's ridiculous. However, trying to take over one of the barkada isn't an option I can exercise right now. Not to mention I still don't know which of them is the best one to infiltrate._

A noise outside catches her attention. Abandoning her meal, Corazon switches to high alert, her claws extended to their fullest, ready to fight. _Where are you?_

Another noise, this time from the opposite side of her hideaway.

 _Surrounded._ Corazon licks her lips in anticipation. _Bring it on._

A clattering sound is followed by something hitting Corazon's foot. _Shit._

The smoke grenade detonates, filling the hideaway with dense white smoke in less than a second. Blinded and struggling to breathe, Corazon is forced to rely on her excellent hearing. At first, she hears a single person approach, but as she turns to face the threat, she picks up four other people. _Shit._ Knowing she's outnumbered and likely at a severe disadvantage, Corazon drops to the ground and adopts a position that looks like she's surrendering but allows her to counter‑attack in an instant.

She never gets the chance: the five attackers strike in perfect synchrony, and within seconds, have the wildcat securely bound, gagged, and blindfolded. Corazon does what she can to prevent her capture, but even her considerable skills are no match for her attackers.

The attackers add a second set of bindings as insurance, then secure a thick hemp sack over her head. Their prey secure, they carry the helpless wildcat out of the storm drain and bundle her into the back of a vehicle, in a compartment with just enough space to hold her immobile.

Corazon listens to her captors as they seal her in, then get into the cabin, start the engine, and drive away. _They just signed their own death warrants._

* * *

Two hours later, the vehicle finally comes to a halt, and the engine is switched off. Corazon hears her captors disembark and leave her helplessly secure in the vehicle. _Now that's just rude. I'll make their deaths slow for this._ A moment later, two new sets of footsteps arrive, open the vehicle, haul her out, and carry her for what feels like an eternity before dumping her brutally to the floor. _Your deaths will be slow too._ Corazon listens as the footsteps retreat. _Again? It's like they_ want _to be killed._

A new set of footsteps approaches, flanked by two others. "This is her?" the first set of footsteps asks.

"This is her," one of the other sets of footsteps confirms.

"Let her see who she's pissed off," the first voice instructs.

Corazon is pulled upright, then the hemp sack and blindfold are removed. It takes a few moments for her eyes to adjust, but soon she can make out the form of a muscular porcupine with silver fur and jet‑black quills. _The leader?_

"Well, I must admit, I wasn't expecting someone so pretty," the porcupine smiles with false warmth. "You're not from around here."

Corazon replies the only way she can: glaring, with murder in her eyes.

"You do know the longer you stare at me like that, the longer you'll remain tied up," the porcupine informs. "And yes, you're here because we noticed how quickly you've carved a niche for yourself in such a short period of time. Thing is, that doesn't sit well with us. Y'see, my barkada, we don't like competition. If you're not one of us, then you're walking dead."

Despite the gag, Corazon smiles.

"Why are you smiling?" the porcupine demands.

Corazon mumbles an incoherent reply.

"Remove the gag," the porcupine commands.

One of the pair holding Corazon up removes the gag.

"Ah, finally!" Corazon sighs with relief. "I was wondering how you expected me to answer with a mouth full of cloth. Which I _really_ hope was washed properly before it was shoved in there. What did you want to know?"

"Why did you smile?" the porcupine repeats.

"Because you act like you're so tough, yet you must be scared shitless, as I'm still trussed up like a rabid bitch," Corazon explains. "Though I must commend the work of your goons: my arms are completely immobile, and there ain't no way I can walk either."

"I'm not scared of you," the porcupine states as fact.

"Then untie me," Corazon requests.

"Forget it."

"Coward."

"Kill her."

"Why? Too afraid to do it yourself?"

"Wait."

"Aw, did I undermine your fake masculinity? I'm so sowwy."

"Leave us."

The two holding Corazon hesitate, but after a stern look from the porcupine, the lemurs leave with haste.

"I'm still tied up, by the way," Corazon reminds.

"And you'll stay that way until I decide otherwise," the porcupine asserts. "Why did you come here?"

"Your goons kidnapped me."

"Don't toy with me, kitten."

"Kitten? How insulting."

"Tell me why you came to the Southern Islands."

"I'm in exile."

"So, no‑one will miss you when you're dead. That's good to know."

"You won't kill me."

"How do you know?"

"If you really wanted me out the way, your goons would have killed me where I sleep," Corazon states. "Instead, they captured me and brought me to you. This means you want to recruit me."

The porcupine remains silent a moment. "You're very insightful," he eventually admits.

"No, just intelligent," Corazon smirks. "You're having trouble with the other barkada, aren't you? And you want me to help you fight them, don't you? Well, I'm not really into that shit. Y'see, I have a thing about being tied up during an interview. Kinda makes me feel like you're not serious about it, y'know?"

"You'll remain bound until I feel I can trust you," the porcupine asserts.

"Then we'll never reach an accord," Corazon sighs, feigning loss of interest.

"You invite death," the porcupine replies.

Corazon fakes a yawn.

Angered, the porcupine sweeps Corazon's legs from under her. Unable to prevent her fall, the wildcat slams into the floor, grunting from the impact.

"Well, _that_ was rude," she growls.

The porcupine kicks Corazon onto her back. "Such defiance and insolence from someone so young. I should kill you right now."

"More talk," Corazon yawns. "Just do it already."

The porcupine runs his eyes both ways the full length of Corazon's finely‑toned body. "I have a better idea," he decides. "I'll keep you as a pet."

 _What._ Corazon faces the porcupine and is shocked to see a lustful hunger in his eyes. "You want me as a sex slave," she concludes flatly.

"A pretty thing like you, would be perfect," the porcupine smirks. "Though you're flatter than I normally go for. What's your name?"

"Fuck you." _Couldn't have picked a worse curse word._

"I'm counting on it. Your name."

Corazon sighs. _Fine, I'll go along with your stupid game. It'll just make it easier to kill‑ Oh. Oh! This is perfect after all!_ "Cory Chai." _Your personal Reaper._

"Dalika Calayan," the porcupine reveals.

"Now we're on first‑name terms, want to untie me?" Corazon asks.

"Not yet," Dalika answers. "I want to guarantee my safety first." Before Corazon can protest, Dalika injects her with a powerful sedative he had concealed in a pocket. "Sleep well, my Cory‑Pie."

* * *

[Present day]

Corazon shivers at the memory of Dalika Calayan. _Why must I remember that?_ Corazon downs the last of her coffee. _Still, at least it didn't last long. Just one night, in fact._

* * *

[Four years before the Brevon Crisis]

Late the following morning, Corazon wakes to find herself locked in a cage just large enough to contain her, a bed, and a lavatory. Taking stock of her situation, she finds herself wearing a revealing black crop top and miniskirt combination, thick black mittens secured over her hands in a way that prevents her removing them, heavy black ankle boots with kitten heels strapped firmly on her feet, and a black collar with a small brass eye hanging from the front. _It wasn't a dream. I really_ am _some pervert's sex slave. At least I have a bed. Oh, and someone to kill. That‑ Hmm. I'll need to get creative._

Corazon slides off the bed and surveys the room her cage is in. _Hmm… Quite opulent: this barkada must be quite successful. Excellent: I'll have a lot of resources when I take control of it._

Corazon's ears twitch when she hears the door to the room open. _Ah, my future victim is back._

"Hello kitten," Dalika greets as he enters the room. "I trust you slept well?"

"Well enough," Corazon replies. "Have you come to parade me around in front of someone?"

"Yes," Dalika confirms. "I want to introduce you to the seniors of the barkada."

"Well, I can't exactly say 'no', can I?" Corazon shrugs.

"Correct," Dalika confirms. "Now, there is one thing I need to do before I take you for a walk," he adds, holding up a strip of black leather.

 _A leash. How demeaning._ "If you insist," Corazon acquiesces, moving to the door of the cage to allow Dalika to clip the leash to her collar.

With the leash secure and taking care to always keep firm hold of it, Dalika unlocks and opens the door. "Be a good girl, and I'll treat you later," he promises as he leads Corazon out of the room.

Corazon follows in silence. _I'm gonna kill you today, you and your seniors. And then I'll seize control and kill anyone who objects._

* * *

Ten minutes later, Corazon is led into a large meeting room, the six senior members of the barkada all present to officially welcome her. _Look at them. Disgusting pigs, all leering at me like I'm a piece of meat, being paraded around for their‑ Oh, yeah, that's what I am right now, a piece of meat being paraded around for their titillation. And in two minutes, they'll all be dead._

"My family, I'm glad you could all attend," Dalika greets the assembled group. "May I present the newest member of this family, my partner Cory‑Pie! She was brought in last night. Did you know she's the new girl who's made quite the reputation for herself these last three weeks?"

The assembled senior members all murmur their acknowledgements.

"Strange to think that such a pretty young thing could look so innocent, yet act so villainous, am I right?" Dalika continues. "Thankfully, I was able to persuade her to join us. That means we don't have to worry about a rival barkada recruiting her."

The assembled senior members offer a brief round of applause.

"Seems they approve of me," Corazon comments.

"Who wouldn't?" Dalika agrees.

"Hold that thought."

Before Dalika can react, Corazon snatches the leash from his hands, sweeps his legs from under him, then stamps a kitten heel directly into an eye. Leaving Dalika half‑blinded and screaming in agony, Corazon turns her attention to the six seniors. "Who's next?" she asks, grinning with murderous intent.

The six seniors charge as one, just as Corazon expected. Exploiting the full range of her fighting ability, she unleashes a ferocious series of powerful punches and kicks, each one calculated to inflict maximum pain. With all the seniors temporarily stalled, Corazon takes advantage of the brief break in the action to tear her mittens open with her teeth, exposing her fingers. She then extends her claws to their fullest and attacks again, slaying each of the seniors with deep cuts across the carotid arteries, jugular veins, and tracheae.

After just fifteen seconds of combat, all six seniors are dead.

Corazon stands on Dalika's chest and looks him straight in his remaining eye. "You were right to fear me," she smirks before slamming a boot into his larynx, crushing it and suffocating him. "And _that's_ for daring to call me Cory‑Pie, you worthless perverted wanker."

A moment later, the door opens, revealing three low‑ranking members of the barkada. They make to charge, only to hesitate when they realise that the leader and his six aides are dead, and the wildcat standing on their former leader is staring at them, violence in her eyes, blood dripping from her claws.

"Corazon Tea," Corazon greets. "I lead you now. Obey me or die. Clear?"

The three goons take a few moments to absorb the news, then lower their heads. "We serve you, ma'am," they chorus.

"Excellent," Corazon smiles aggressively. "Inform the rest of the barkada. If anyone objects, tell them they can take it up with me _personally_."

"As you wish, ma'am." The three goons leave the room.

Corazon allows herself a smug grin. _That was easier than I thought. And now I have my own goons to command. Today is a good day. If only I wasn't dressed like a cheap whore…_ Corazon looks down at her blood‑spattered but otherwise unmarked body. _At least I have the legs for it. And I must admit, I do like kitten heels._


	5. Greasemonkey

[Present day]

Corazon enters the bridge and settles in the captain's chair. _Seizing control of the first barkada… Twenty‑three days is all it took to go from two‑bit criminal to powerful crime lord. Pity I had to kill a third of them. But that's their fault for not following my every command without question. And once I'd imparted some actual_ skill _to those that remained, there was no stopping us. And I gained a pet of my own too, one who_ isn't _a sex slave._ Corazon smirks to herself. _He couldn't handle me anyway._

* * *

[Three years before the Brevon Crisis]

A year has passed since Corazon seized control of the barkada formally belonging to Dalika Calayan. In that time, the barkada had been transformed: gone are the weak and the stupid, as is the name Calayan. The barkada is now known by the name Itim Tsaa, and under Corazon's leadership, it quickly rose to become the strongest of all the barkada. During their rise, they either absorbed or extinguished most of the other barkada, until there were just three left: Itim Tsaa, Dilaw Lupa, and Pula Langit.

And Corazon won't rest until Itim Tsaa is the only one remaining.

* * *

Corazon rises naturally early, but knowing she has no obligations all morning, eschews getting dressed. Electing to remain unclothed while she performs her morning exercises, she relishes the feeling of freedom her nakedness gives her. As she works out, she calculates how she's going to bring down the two rival barkada. However, the task is a complex one, and she ends her workout without formulating a full plan.

Feeling a little dispirited, Corazon showers quickly, then wanders out onto the balcony of her room, wrapped in only a jet‑black bathrobe. There, she looks out over the sprawling complex in front of her, a mix of buildings ranging from barracks to a vehicle depot, all hers to command as she pleases. _My nascent empire. You can always be relied on to lift my spirits._

Filled with renewed vigour, Corazon returns inside and assembles her outfit for the day: a fitted plain black long‑sleeved t‑shirt, black fingerless gloves, black leggings, and black military boots. Discarding the bathrobe, Corazon is only able to dress below the waist before she's interrupted by a knock at the door. Annoyance winning over decency, she stalks over to the door and opens it. "What?"

"Excuse me ma'am," the messenger answers, taking care to avert his gaze. "Your package arrived this morning," he adds, holding out a long, slender parcel wrapped in nondescript brown paper, the only means of identification being Corazon's name and the Imperial Gotoshan word 'kinzoku'.

"Excellent." Corazon takes the package and shuts the door, then tears the paper and padding away to reveal a brand‑new sheathed katana fashioned by Tsubaki Moto, dai‑sensei of Kinzoku‑dojo, and the finest swordsmith in the Gotoshi Republic. Corazon discards the packaging and draws the blade, marvelling at the quality of the craftmanship and the intricacy of the Classic Yǔyán inscription 'Fùchóu shì zhídé děngdài de'. _Revenge is indeed worth waiting for._

Corazon sheathes the katana, finishes getting dressed, then slings the weapon over her shoulder, adjusting the baldric to fit her subtle curves perfectly. The last addition is the wildcat's only concession to style: an upgraded service revolver trimmed with gilt, pearl, and mahogany, a firearm that belonged to the previous leader Dalika Calayan, and a permanent sign to the members of Itim Tsaa that Corazon is not to be crossed. Ever.

One final check in the full‑length dress mirror, and the leader of Itim Tsaa is ready to begin the day.

* * *

Late morning, and while Corazon is personally overseeing training of a group of younger members (most of whom are older than her), another messenger arrives to inform her of a visit from the leader of Pula Langit. Curious why Gani Galam would dare visit the headquarters of Itim Tsaa, Corazon summons a retinue of six, then proceeds to the main gate.

What she didn't expect to find was the entire Pula Langit barkada assembled, ready to attack.

Corazon dispatches her retinue to assemble as many fighters as they can, then makes her way up to the nest on one of the two watchtowers flanking the main gate. "Gani Galam," she greets, murderous eyes fixed upon the russet loris standing at the head of his army. "What brings you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Gani answers. "We've had enough of you and your barkada stealing all the good work. You should be more considerate of your peers!"

"I'm not the one who brought an entire army to say 'hello'," Corazon sneers. "Fuck off or die."

"It's not us who shall be dying," Gani challenges. "At‑"

No‑one had seen Corazon draw her pistol, yet as Gani collapses, killed by a bullet to the forehead, the wildcat blows smoke from the barrel. _All that practice on the range has paid off._ "Anyone else?" she challenges, holstering the pistol.

Enraged, the Pula Langit warriors charge.

Corazon turns to see her warriors assembling in their dozens. Grinning manically, she leaps down from the tower and lands gracefully behind the gates. "Open the gates! Defend and repel!" she orders. "Exterminate every single one of them! Anyone who doesn't get a kill will answer to _me!_ "

Once the gates are open, Corazon leads the counter‑charge directly into the heart of the Pula Langit horde.

* * *

An hour later, with the battle over, a blood‑soaked Corazon walks the field of dead in front of her compound, seeking out and killing any enemy who dared to survive. However, her warriors did such a thorough job, her task is proving fruitless. Not that this bothers the wildcat: she's proud of her barkada's performance.

As she's about to return to the compound however, she spots something in the bushes. _There's one left: he's mine._ Corazon stalks to the bush and slices it in two with one sweep of her katana.

"D‑D‑D‑D‑Don't k‑k‑kill m‑m‑m‑me!" the tiny olive tarsier hiding behind it pleads.

Corazon raises her katana to kill, but stops herself before committing to the act, instead choosing to sheath the sword. _What a pathetic wretch. Not even worth killing._ "Name. Now."

"N‑Name?" the tarsier asks, confused. "I d‑don't have a n‑name. Th‑The v‑voices in m‑my h‑h‑head k‑k‑keep tell‑"

"Silence!" Corazon commands. _Great: he's insane._ "Why are you here?"

"B‑Because I heard ab‑about a c‑crazy cat l‑lady who t‑t‑t‑t‑took over th‑this b‑barkada, and th‑the v‑voices s‑s‑said, 'J‑J‑Join her and m‑make c‑c‑cool th‑things f‑f‑f‑f‑'"

"I get the picture!" Corazon snaps. _By the Ancients, this is annoying._ "What sort of things?"

"M‑M‑M‑M‑M‑M‑M‑M‑Machines!" the tarsier exclaims. "B‑Big ones! L‑Little ones! And ones in b‑b‑between!"

"Hm." Corazon analyses the diminutive tarsier. _He's pathetic, even for a runt, but I can see something in those ridiculously large eyes of his… Fuck it, I'll keep him. He may prove useful eventually. Or amusing, at least. And if not, I'll kill him._ "Come with me, greasemonkey."

"R‑R‑R‑Really?"

"Rules. One: You are my pet, I own you. Two: You do not touch me, ever. Three: You speak to no‑one except me without my permission. Four: You obey my every command without question. Five: You prove to me you are worth wasting time on. Accept, or die."

"W‑We all s‑s‑s‑say 'Yes!'" the tarsier accepts.

Corazon makes to ask what the tarsier means by 'we all say' but stops herself. _The voices… Right…_ "Come."

The diminutive tarsier gets to his feet, revealing him to be only thigh‑high to the wildcat, and starts to follow his new mistress into the compound.

A few seconds later, Corazon spins, draws her sword, and lays the tip on the tarsier's neck. "Crazy cat lady?" she growls demandingly.

"Y‑You're a c‑c‑c‑cat, y‑yes?" the tarsier asks.

"A _wild_ cat," Corazon confirms.

"And y‑y‑you are a l‑l‑lady, y‑yes?"

 _I'm not_ that _flat._ "You called me 'crazy'."

"Y‑You are! D‑Do you h‑h‑hear v‑voices too?"

"No."

"I‑I‑I‑I‑I‑Interesting…"

"Rule six: _Never_ call me crazy."

"W‑W‑Whatever you s‑say, c‑crazy l‑lady."

"Rule seven: My name is Corazon Tea. You will call me 'commander'."

"Y‑Yes b‑b‑boss!"

Corazon pauses a moment. _Close enough._ Satisfied, the wildcat withdraws her katana and returns it to its sheath. "Follow."

* * *

An hour later, in her private chambers, Corazon is finally getting useful information out of her new pet. "Forty‑five minutes, and you finally reveal you used to work for Kidlat Puno," she sighs, exasperated, but pleased she's finally making progress. "But he kept stopping you from making the sort of machinery you want to make, so you ran away and hoped to work for someone who is about a hundred times more likely to simply remove your head from your body," she summarises.

"I t‑t‑told you sh‑she wouldn't b‑b‑b‑b‑be h‑h‑happy," the tarsier reminds the voices in his head.

"Not so fast," Corazon cautions. "Rule eight: Don't leap to conclusions."

"Y‑You're h‑happy to h‑h‑h‑hear about th‑this?" the tarsier asks, confused.

"You'll know I'm unhappy when you're dead, my katana through your heart," Corazon informs. "Would you be willing to make machines for me to use against your former master? Be aware, there's only one right answer."

"W‑W‑Want to s‑see my d‑d‑d‑d‑d‑designs?"

Corazon raises an eyebrow. The tarsier takes this as a 'yes': he pulls out an extremely dog‑eared notebook from a pocket inside his orange jumpsuit and hands it to Corazon. The wildcat, her nose wrinkled in distaste, takes the notebook and starts leafing through it, expecting to find garbage.

After a full five minutes, her opinion is transformed. "These designs… They're insane!" she barks. "And yet," she continues softly, "they're absolute genius! I've never seen such brilliance! This is so far beyond anything I've ever seen before! How quickly do you think you can make some prototypes?"

"One w‑w‑w‑w‑week."

"I'll set you up with a workshop and as many raw materials as I can spare," Corazon promises, handing back the notebook. "And if your prototypes impress me, I'll give you two assistants. Deal?"

The tarsier does all he can to stop himself bouncing around with joy. "Aye‑aye b‑b‑boss!" he salutes, accepting the notebook.

* * *

[Present day]

Corazon allows herself a smile at the memory of those first robots. _They were quite something. They freaked me the fuck out, but they were very effective._

* * *

[Three years before the Brevon Crisis]

A week after adopting the tarsier greasemonkey, the first prototypes are ready for Corazon's review. As she makes her way from her private chambers to the tarsier's workshop, she allows herself to imagine the sort of efficient if unusual killing machines he's been building.

What she sees is _very_ different from what she's expecting.

Corazon enters the workshop and freezes in shock and surprise at the sight of the five prototype robots lined up in front of her. She had expected madness, but not to the extreme in front of her. "Wha…?" is all she can manage to say.

The tarsier appears from behind one of the smaller robots. "What d‑d‑do you th‑think?" he asks with a smile so wide it almost cleaves his face in two.

Corazon takes a few moments to allow her brain to acclimatise to the madness in front of her. The four attack robots modelled after insects and arachnids she was expecting, although the mix of cuteness and vacancy in the faces is unsettling, even for someone as stoic as Corazon. But it's the central machine that causes her mind to boggle. Normally, a ten‑foot‑tall mech walker armed with machine guns and flamethrowers wouldn't faze her, but when the chassis is a five‑foot‑wide perfectly spherical copy of her own head, it takes time for the mind to adjust. And it's this machine that captures all of Corazon's attention as she analyses the winglets modelled on her ears, the glowing yellow eyes that function as headlights, and how the cuteness of the design is rendered terrifying by its size and the vacant expression of the facial features.

The tarsier notices Corazon's fixation with the mech. "Your c‑c‑c‑command m‑m‑m‑m‑mech!" he informs. "S‑So you c‑can l‑l‑lay waste t‑to your en‑enemies in p‑p‑p‑p‑p‑perfect c‑c‑comfort!"

It takes a few moments for the words to register, but eventually, Corazon manages to tear her attention from the mech and address the tarsier. "What made you think _that_ was a good idea‽" she demands.

"I‑" the tarsier begins.

"It's _horrific!_ " Corazon snaps. "Also, why would I want to ride around in my own head? It's idiotic and vainglorious! I am _not_ riding around in it, and nor will you!"

"B‑B‑B‑B‑B‑"

"I'll be back in one hour," Corazon decides. "If that thing still looks like me, I will _not_ be happy. Got it?"

Corazon leaves before the tarsier can respond, slamming the door behind her. _Got to admit though, I am flattered._

* * *

An hour later, Corazon returns, relieved to find the mech has been restyled: the winglets have been removed, and the entire chassis is now painted in a shade of pink that's so vivid, it almost hurts to look at. "Well, at least it doesn't look like me anymore," she muses. "Still creeping me the fuck out though."

"At l‑l‑l‑least you're h‑h‑happy n‑now," the tarsier replies, poking his head above the mech's dashboard. "W‑Want to s‑s‑s‑see these in ac‑ac‑action?"

"Yeah… There's an area for… An area for weapons testing: you can… You can demonstrate them… there." _I've never been so freaked out in my life. Yet I can't stop looking at it…_ Corazon finally manages to tear her gaze from the terrifyingly vacant feline visage of the mech. "Bring all five machines: I want to see them working in unison."

Corazon leaves without waiting for a reply, closing the door softly behind her. _Wow._ Corazon shakes her head to clear it, takes a deep breath, and recovers her composure. _I hope this won't prove to be a waste of time…_


	6. Fratricide

[Present day]

Half an hour from Shang Mu, Corazon activates the radio in her console. "Greasemonkey, final check: everything ready?"

"Y‑Yes b‑b‑b‑boss!" the tarsier replies.

"Dispatch the robots."

Corazon shuts off the radio and watches as scores of the tarsier's robots swarm ahead of the _Sigwada_ , reminiscing about the first time she saw his robots in action. _I'd never seen such efficient killing machines. Well, there was one exception… Why did she have to hunt me down?_

* * *

[One year before the Brevon Crisis]

As the sun begins to set, a passenger ferry pulls into the dock as a two‑tone light viridian wildcat and a white panda‑cavy hybrid watch.

"I still can't believe she's still alive," the wildcat sighs. "All these years… There's no telling what atrocities she's committed in all that time."

"I'm not going to pretend to understand," the cavy replies.

"Don't worry about understanding, Spade," the wildcat assures. "All you need to worry about is helping me execute her."

"Coral, can I ask you something?" Spade requests.

"You're here to finish the job if I am unable to," Coral answers.

"I know," Spade reminds. "That's not what I want to ask."

Coral sighs in resignation. "I don't trust myself to be capable of killing her."

Spade remains silent, not knowing what to say.

"Also, I know you'll keep this secret," Coral continues. "Not even the Leaders know the true nature of this mission."

"I'm sure they'll be able to work it out," Spade remarks. "And I'm equally sure they'll keep it secret too. They understand this is, and has always been, a matter for the Tea clan more than the Red Scarves."

"Do you think this is all my fault?"

"Absolutely not."

"But if I wasn't better than‑"

"Coral, stop right there," Spade requests firmly yet kindly. "The only person to blame for Corazon's mistakes is Corazon. She allowed her jealousy of you to get the better of her, and she allowed herself to succumb to a thirst for power."

Coral considers Spade's words for a few moments. "Yeah, you're right."

"Of course," Spade confirms without smugness. "It's what you told me."

Coral takes a deep breath. "OK, let's do this. For Carol."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Corazon's private meditation is interrupted by a messenger knocking urgently on her door. Growling angrily at her concentration being broken, the wildcat storms to the door and opens it. "This better be good."

"Um…" the messenger hesitates.

" _Spit it out!_ " Corazon snaps.

"Your sister was spotted alighting a ferry at the docks!" the messenger spills, unable to hide his fear.

Corazon's blood turns to ice. _Shit. She knows I'm alive. She's coming to finish the job._ "Lock down the compound. No‑one gets in or out. You have five minutes."

Corazon shuts the door before the messenger responds and listens as he scurries off to execute her order. _This isn't what I expected. I'm not ready yet. I'm still growing my army. I need another year at least._ Corazon takes a deep breath. _Needs must._

Stripping off her black leotard and gym shorts, Corazon strides over to her wardrobe and picks out a new outfit: a one‑piece matt black bodyglove with integrated balaclava. _I had hoped never to use this…_ Corazon dresses quickly, the bodyglove designed to hide as much of her viridian fur as possible, leaving only her eyes and the insides of her ears exposed. Electing against the pistol, Corazon arms herself only with her katana, the baldric and sheath blending in with her bodyglove.

Corazon slips on a pair of black jika‑tabi, applies black fur dye to the insides of her ears, then stands in front of her full‑length dress mirror to check she's as concealed as possible. _Only my eyes can be seen. That's as good as it's going to get._

 _When this day is done, Coral will regret hunting me down._

* * *

An hour after sunset, Coral and Spade arrive at the perimeter of the Itim Tsaa compound.

"The whole place is on lockdown," Coral concludes.

"Does that mean she's expecting us?" Spade asks.

"It means she's expecting _me_ ," Coral corrects. "With luck, she won't know you're here too."

"Mission is yours to command," Spade offers.

"You know the objective: the rest is up to you," Coral decides. "I trust your judgement."

Spade nods his acknowledgement and disappears into the shadows.

Coral checks her katana is still in place. _I miss my Mech‑Blade… but since there's a chance I won't return, I don't want to risk it falling into Corazon's hands._ Coral takes a deep, calming breath. _For the first time in years, I'm genuinely nervous… For all her transgressions, the fact remains that Corazon is my sister, and I owe it to Carol to try one last time to turn her back to the correct path._

Coral's thoughts are interrupted by a series of distant explosions from widely‑spaced locations. _Thanks for the distraction, my friend._ Taking advantage of the noise and confusion, Coral springs from the cover of the treeline, scales the wall with agility that outpaces even that natural to felines, drops down the other side, and immediately dives for cover. _OK, I'm in. Now to find my sister._

* * *

"Defend and repel!" Corazon barks into her compact radio. "And whatever you do, do _not,_ I repeat do _not_ engage the viridian wildcat! I will deal with her _personally!_ " _She's not working alone. Who has she got working with her? And how many? Knowing Coraline, she'll have been smart‑ Oh… Well played, sis. Explains the explosions: he always liked his pyro. Guess I'll have to deal with him too._ "Change of plan: capture the cavy alive!" Corazon barks into her compact radio.

* * *

In the compound, Coral is making good progress: making the best use of her stealth skills, she evades detection with ease. After ten minutes however, she cannot shake the suspicion that no‑one is looking for her. _Corazon wants to deal with me personally… I'm OK with that._

Deciding that speed is more important than stealth, Coral hastens towards the central building, correctly assuming that's where Corazon is waiting. Her ears twitch constantly as she picks up the footfalls of the members of the barkada and the multitude of explosions at the perimeter. _Keep up the distraction Spade: I'm nearly there._

However, in her haste, she makes an uncharacteristic error: she walks straight out in front of a squad of barkada fighters. Cursing herself for being so careless, she draws her katana… only for the squad to charge right past her without even the briefest hesitation. _Did… Did they just ignore me?_ Coral looks down at herself. _I'm not dressed for stealth: a black crop top and green cargo shorts isn't exactly a stealth suit._ The obvious conclusion hits her. _She's ordered her army to ignore me. She's going to force me to face her while her army keeps Spade occupied… I'm doing this for Carol. I'm doing this for Carol. I'm doing this for Carol._

Coral takes a deep breath, clears her thoughts, then abandons all pretence and strides confidently to the central building.

* * *

Corazon watches her sister approach from the shadow of her balcony. _Excellent: she's walking right into my trap._

* * *

Coral enters the main building to find the entire place is completely unlit. After allowing herself a few moments for her feline eyes to adjust, she begins making her way deeper into the building. _I know you're in here…_

The front door slams shut. Coral wheels around, drawing her sword, but it only takes a moment to realise she's jumping at shadows. _Focus._ Coral silently chants a brief mantra, then resumes her hunt, her katana held ready to defend.

"I knew you'd come one day."

Coral freezes at the sound of the voice. "Corazon."

"Obviously."

 _Dammit. Can't locate it._ "You know why I'm here."

"Obviously."

 _It's coming from everywhere._ "These cheap tricks aren't scaring me."

"They're not meant to: they're meant to stop you finding me."

 _Obviously._ "Reveal yourself, and let's settle this honourably."

"Does little Caroline know you're here?"

"Leave her out of this."

"I know she's in the Scarves, and I know you're mentoring her and her best friend. I also know you recruited her after she ran away from home."

Coral is stunned to silence for a moment. "You have spies in the Scarves," she concludes.

"I have spies everywhere."

"What's your plan?"

"Same as it's always been."

"Cory…"

"No‑one calls me that anymore."

Coral is about to reply, but halts when she realises the explosions outside have stopped. "Oh no…"

"Ah, Spade has been found and captured," Corazon concludes. "Excellent. He'll be here in about ten minutes, I calculate."

 _Her scent is everywhere too._ Coral keeps moving towards what looks like a large hall. "Corazon, please stop this. If you continue down this path, it'll only end worse for you."

 _That's it, walk right into my trap._ "On the contrary sis _:_ I know _exactly_ what I'm doing."

As Coral reaches the centre of the large room, the door slams shut behind her. This time, she doesn't react. "You're in here."

Corazon opens her eyes, their golden brilliance almost shining in the darkness just ten feet in front of Coral. "Welcome to my empire."

Coral drops into a fighting stance. "Empire… I should have known." _She's beyond hope of redemption._

Corazon draws her blade and stands ready to attack. "If you're expecting a long speech, you're in for a disappointment."

"No speeches," Coral accepts. "There's only one way this matter can be resolved."

The two wildcats face off, circling each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Suddenly, Corazon lunges, sweeping hard, but Coral reads the move and parries. The younger wildcat attempts to counter with an upward sweep of her own, but Corazon is already leaping out of the blade's path. The combatants separate and circle again before Coral launches a thrust at Corazon's chest. The older wildcat dodges, but her footing falters. Miraculously, Corazon regains her footing in time to parry Coral's follow‑up sweep, using her momentum to roll around her sister and attempt to slice her legs. Coral is wise to the move though, and she leaps out of the path of the blade, landing ready to defend. But Corazon elects to hold, and the two felines circle once more.

"That outfit doesn't hide you, you know," Coral informs.

"I know," Corazon admits.

Coral hears a noise behind her that sounds like footsteps: instinctively, she turns to address the new threat.

A fatal mistake.

Corazon takes full advantage of Coral being distracted, thrusting the full length of her katana through Coral's chest, puncturing a lung and slicing the heart. The thrust is so fast and smooth Coral barely feels the blade as it slides through her body: it's not until she sees the cold steel protruding from her chest that she realises her mistake.

Her fate sealed, Coral drops her sword and utters a single word: "Why?"

"You are weak. I am strong," Corazon whispers, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "Goodbye, Coraline Tea. May the Ancients have mercy on you."

"B‑B‑B‑B‑Boss?" a voice quietly asks from the darkness.

"Dismissed," Corazon commands softly. "And… thank you."

The only reply is a quiet scurrying as the greasemonkey retreats.

Corazon withdraws the katana and watches her slain sister collapse, lifeless, dead before she hits the floor. Slowly, Corazon cleans and sheathes her katana, then gathers Coral's sword as a trophy before leaving the room in complete silence without looking back. _Now there is no‑one who can stop me._


	7. Sigwada

[Present day]

Corazon takes a moment to compose herself. _It hurt to do it, but she had to die. She was the only one who could stop me. I needed to kill her, to remove the last remaining obstacle. But just as I was about to put my final plan into motion, a spaceship crash‑landed in the Shuigang Snowfields. Talk about a spanner in the works. Maybe it was a mistake to allow Spade to live that day… No, he had to report that I had been killed: it was the only way to prevent the Scarves hunting me down. Even if it did later mean my plans had to change…_

* * *

[The day after the Kingdom Stone Heist]

" _WHAT‽_ " Corazon yells, scaring the messenger who had just informed her of the assassination of the King of Shuigang, the resultant military response by Prince Dail, and the theft of the Kingdom Stone by the Red Scarves.

"I‑I'm j‑j‑just r‑reporting th‑the f‑f‑f‑facts, m‑m‑ma'am!" the messenger pleads, cowering from Corazon's death stare.

" _Get out of my sight!_ "

The messenger scarpers so quickly he bounces off the walls.

Corazon slams the door so hard it almost smashes the frame, then unleashes a powerful, primal bellow of pure, unadulterated rage: " _Four years wasted! Four! Fucking! Years!_ "

Corazon closes her eyes, takes a few long, deep breaths, and recovers her composure. _OK, all is not lost. It's still possible to do this: I just need to work out a different way to get the Stone._

* * *

Three days later, Corazon is once again scaring the same messenger. " _It's been DESTROYED‽_ " she bellows.

"Y‑Y‑Y‑Y‑Yes, m‑m‑m‑m‑ma'am," the messenger confirms. "P‑P‑P‑P‑Please d‑d‑d‑don't‑"

Corazon slams the door shut before the messenger can finish speaking. But this time, she doesn't vent her anger: she collects it, bottles it, and allows it to fester into a deep hatred of her new enemy. "For hundreds of years, the Teas have had to play second‑fiddle to the Lilacs," the wildcat growls. "But we had broken free. I thought they had gone for good, but they've returned. And now they've corrupted my younger sister Carol. Sash Lilac, I won't just kill you, I will _destroy_ you!"

* * *

[Present day]

Corazon can feel her anger grow as she recalls the day she realised her new path would take her right into the sights of the latest in a long line of Lilacs. _Without the Kingdom Stone, I was forced into another plan. Luckily, I learned of a new prototype flying battleship the Katimugang Isla Armed Forces were building just in case Brevon returns…_

* * *

[One year after the Brevon Crisis]

On the stroke of midnight, Corazon and her greasemonkey arrive at their chosen infiltration point: a sewer pipe that leads deep into the heart of the military base that hides the airship the wildcat intends to steal. Normally, this task would prove a challenge, but word of the civil war that had broken out in the Gotoshi Republic had spread fast and rattled the military leaders of the Southern Islands. Coupled with rumours of the existence of crystals with unimaginable powers, concern about the security of _Project Sigwada_ had risen, and they had reacted in a predictable manner: they simply threw more men to the task of defence.

Of course, for someone of Corazon's immense skill, a few dozen more soldiers aren't even a minor inconvenience.

While waiting for a clear moment to sprint from the shadows of the treeline to the sewer entrance, Corazon, once again cocooned in her matt black bodyglove (this time accessorised with a pair of aviation goggles with in‑built data screens), gives her greasemonkey some final instructions. "If you jiggle and throw me off balance, I will dump you and leave you for the soldiers to find. I will do the same if you complain about the smell. Understand?"

"Y‑Y‑Yes b‑b‑b‑boss," the greasemonkey acknowledges as he double‑checks he's securely strapped into a makeshift pouch mounted on Corazon's back.

"Good." Corazon takes a deep breath. _No turning back now._ A gap opens in the patrol pattern: Corazon wastes no time silently sprinting from the treeline to the sewer entrance. A few moments later, a fireteam of three soldiers arrives at the entrance, but this is of no concern to Corazon, who is already a hundred metres down the pipe, and well out of visual and audible range.

* * *

An hour later, deep inside the compound and still undetected, Corazon is forced to admit something. "We're lost," she whispers. "Nothing's where we expected it to be."

"I‑I d‑d‑don't understand," her greasemonkey replies. "I‑It's‑ Oh…"

Corazon is momentarily disoriented when the display on her goggles shifts dramatically. "You had the map upside‑down."

"S‑S‑Sorry."

"You will be. At least we're close."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Corazon enters the main hangar onto a high gantry, part of a network of catwalks suspended one hundred and fifty feet above the floor. Knowing that even the smallest sound could echo throughout the hangar, Corazon crouches down on all‑fours and slowly works her way from the corner where she entered to the centre where the airship is almost complete, missing only the standard yellow paintjob of the Southern Islands Armed Forces.

Surprisingly, the high catwalks have almost no patrols covering them: believing them to be safe, most of the troops are deployed on the ground and lower gantries, with just four patrolling the highest, leaving odds that are very much in Corazon's favour. Dispatching the guards proves simple for the talented wildcat: in just seventeen minutes, all four lie dead, their necks broken.

Able to relax a little, Corazon searches for the best way to drop down to the _Sigwada_ below. _Hmm… Going to have to rappel after all… Hope this rope is long enough._ Corazon unhooks a length of rope from her waist, secures one end firmly around the rails of the gantry, then threads the other end through a one‑piece descender she then clips to her harness. "How are you with heights?" she asks her greasemonkey quietly as she double‑checks her rappelling set‑up.

"N‑N‑Not g‑good," the greasemonkey replies.

"Then don't look down." Corazon vaults over the rail and rappels quickly down the rope. Unfortunately, the rope isn't quite long enough, and she is forced to stop just ten feet above the _Sigwada_. "Ah," she whispers.

"W‑W‑Why h‑have w‑we s‑s‑s‑stopped?" the greasemonkey asks.

"End of the rope."

"W‑What n‑n‑now?"

"Brace."

Corazon allows the descender to slip off the rope, then lands heavily on the top of the Sigwada, rolling as she lands to lessen the impact. Despite this, the impact is still jarring, and she rolls onto all‑fours to let the sharp spike of pain in her legs fade. "Sorry," she apologises. "You OK?"

"Y‑Y‑Yeah," the tarsier assures. "P‑Please d‑d‑d‑don't d‑d‑do th‑that again."

Corazon's ears prick as she hears an access hatch open. Relying on a mix of training and instinct, she scurries over the hull to the only available hiding place: directly behind the opening hatch. A moment later, a single soldier climbs out onto the hull, looking for whatever caused the thud he heard when Corazon landed.

Before he can turn around, Corazon grabs him from behind and lays the edge of her combat knife on his throat. "Keep quiet, or I kill you," the wildcat hisses in the soldier's ear. "How many?"

"Enough to stop you," the soldier hisses back.

"Wrong answer."

Corazon slits the soldier's throat, lays the body flat on the hull, then opens the hatch. After a quick check that the coast is clear, she drops into the ship and immediately dives into cover. The wildcat waits a few moments for the greasemonkey to load the ship's schematics, then follows the directions to the main computer bank, sticking to the shadows as much as possible to avoid detection.

It only takes a few minutes to get to the main computer banks. Once inside, Corazon removes her harness and releases the greasemonkey from the pouch attached to the back. "You know what to do."

The tarsier salutes, then scurries off into the shadows. Corazon tracks him via the sounds he makes as he locates the central hub, hooks his handheld computer to it, then taps away furiously at the keypad. Exactly thirty‑seven seconds later, the entire ship is plunged into darkness. One second after that, Corazon picks up the faintest of noises: the doors and hatches all sealing shut. _Excellent._ Knowing the odds are now stacked heavily in her favour, Corazon confidently strides out of the room and heads towards the cockpit, killing the soldiers she meets on the way swiftly before they can raise the alarm or fight back.

Ten minutes later, Corazon enters the cockpit to find a single console active. _Those stolen plans worked out. Good. If they hadn't… Regardless, stealing this ship is worth the risk._ Corazon seats herself in the captain's chair and taps away at the console for a few moments. At first, it looks like the computer isn't responding, but after a short delay, the screen scrolls the following message: ++S‑S‑Sorry, c‑crazy c‑c‑c‑cat l‑l‑lady. F‑Fixing it n‑n‑now: w‑w‑wait th‑thirty s‑s‑s‑seconds.++ _Wow, he even types with a stutter._ Corazon waits thirty seconds and tries again, this time with success as the computer greets her with ++Welcome, Captain Corazon Tea.++ _Perfect._

Corazon keys in her first commands as captain of the _Sigwada_.

* * *

The soldiers in the hangar all turn as one as the _Sigwada_ activates. Most react the only way they can think of: they open fire on the airship, the 9mm bullets bouncing harmlessly off the hull. The attacks don't go unnoticed: the airship's guns open fire on the soldiers, mowing them all down in just ten seconds.

With all the soldiers slain, the _Sigwada_ 's guns target the door, cutting a hole large enough for the airship to fly through in under a minute.

The _Sigwada_ accelerates out of the hangar and climbs as steeply as it can to escape the tank fire being directed at it. A couple of shells clip the airship, but most miss, and soon, the _Sigwada_ is out of range of even the anti‑aircraft turrets, with only a few minor repairs needed.

* * *

On the bridge, Corazon finally allows herself to relax. _That. Was. Epic!_

* * *

[Present day]

"And now, here we are, just five minutes out of Shang Mu, about to enact the plan that will place the Teas where they belong," Corazon grins to herself as she looks out the main window on the bridge. "Soon, thanks to that anonymous tip that surprisingly turned up results, I will have not just the _Sigwada_ , I will have the _Bakunawa_ too. Then I will rescue my sister and end the Lilacs. And when I'm finished, the world will know the _true_ power of Yěmāo Shìzú!"


End file.
